Having two screens going at once is becoming the new norm, wrote the reporter on the iPad in front of her while the TV played "30 Rock" in the background. A new study from KPMG found 60 percent of American television viewers watch TV and access the Internet simultaneously, per the Los Angeles Times.

"We continue to see that multitasking is getting bigger and bigger," said Paul Wissmann, leader of KPMG's U.S. Media & Telecommunications practice, according to the report. "It's getting to older generations as well, as there are more and more options in front of them."

A big reason for the two screens is that viewers still prefer watching narrative programming on their TV, not on smaller screens. Only 14 percent of those surveyed preferred to watch video on their smartphones or tablets.

"What this may portend is that while we keep putting our eyes on anywhere, any time, it may be that we want the flexibility of the Internet on our television set," Wissmann said.

Which may lead to some confusion. If networks and advertisers can't discern where viewers are looking, it's going to become a challenge to decide where to place the ads. Increasingly, networks are trying to lure viewers in with apps that extend the programming they watch on TV with online chats and bonus material that will entice users to engage on both levels.

"If you look at people still wanting to see things on a television -- and the fact that now, we're providing them with the flexibility that they get from their computer and mobile device on the TV -- that's a pretty interesting potential future we have out there," Wissmann said.

Gina Hall is a Los Angeles-based writer and producer with more than 10 years experience in television, documentary and feature film production. She is a graduate of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts and blogs for the Huffington Post at huffingtonpost.com/gina-hall

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